Next Step For Cra Debated Officials Disagree On What Voters Want

February 7, 1991|By JULIA McLAUGHLIN, Staff Writer

BOCA RATON -- The day after residents heartily endorsed a referendum calling for the City Council to take over the Community Redevelopment Agency, city officials scrambled to figure out what happens next.

``I`d say that there`s a lot of confusion,`` council member Al Travasos said on Wednesday. ``I`m just trying to find out what the best answer is.``

Residents approved the referendum with 60 percent of the vote. The CRA did not prevail in a single precinct, but tied in two precincts.

Travasos said he would like to see a redevelopment advisory board set up to make recommendations to the City Council, which would sit as the CRA.

``There isn`t a single city function that doesn`t go on without an advisory board,`` he said. The city has 17 advisory boards, covering everything from parks to finance and housing.

But council member Bill Smith said he doesn`t think an advisory board was what residents had in mind when they voted on Tuesday.

``I think that`s adding another layer of government that the referendum was telling us to get rid of,`` said Smith, the only member of the City Council who also served on the CRA board at one time. ``I don`t think that`s appropriate at this time.``

Instead, Smith suggested that two more members be appointed to the new CRA board in addition to the mayor and the four council members. He also said he anticipates that the council would keep the existing CRA staff.

But council member Steven Abrams said he disagreed with adding anyone to the new CRA.

``Clearly, the referendum was for the City Council to assume the duties of the CRA. I would not favor expanding the CRA to include other people,`` Abrams said. ``I think people are looking for us to make the basic decisions about downtown redevelopment.``

An opponent of the CRA, William Merchant, said that adding to the board or keeping the current CRA staff would go against what the voters were asking for in the referendum.

``They say they are going to carry on the way they were before,`` Merchant said. ``I don`t think the voters wanted that.``

Council members all said they would know more about what would become of the CRA functions next week, when the City Council meets on Monday and Tuesday for its regularly scheduled meetings.

Travasos said he doesn`t think the referendum was a true reflection of what the community as a whole thinks about the CRA.

``When only 20 percent of the people vote, special interests can persuade enough people to vote their way,`` he said. ``Eighty percent of the people didn`t care enough to vote.``

City Clerk Candance Bridgwater said before the election that 20 percent was the expected level of voter turnout for a municipal election.

``If more people don`t vote, you`re never going to know what the people really want,`` Travasos said.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the CRA called an emergency meeting to authorize a check for $267,276 to Crocker & Co. for road and beautification improvements made at Mizner Park.

But Mayor Emil Danciu said he asked on Wednesday that the payment to Crocker be held up until the City Council has a chance to approve it.

``I`m glad that the check was not finalized because there may be some problems,`` Danciu said.